'I can see the beginnings of the darkness,' he whispered to himself, touching the silver finger bowl that Eventine had given back to him before he left Clatterford. Carefully he placed it in the pocket closest to his heart before he loosed the dagger from his belt and moved forward.

Burnt footprints spoilt the opening but the dark crack in the mountain stood empty and beckoning. Any Nightbeast watchers

guarding the entrance had retreated, hurrying, Thane guessed, to the high chambers to tell Krulshards that he had found the secret way into the City of Night. Taking deep breaths he turned and searched the blue-domed sky. Fate was to arm him. But how?

295.

aDaylight and Darkness

Evening Star pa.s.sed through the last tangle of ancient trees in the eaves of Mantern's Forest and trotted on to the Causeway Field. Away in the distance the fortress of Underfall rose sheer and powerful in the sunlight.

The Causeway road before the giant doors was thronged with a long column of travellers; lines of hors.e.m.e.n and beautiful Warhorses were pa.s.sing through the d.y.k.es to fill the Causeway Field. Willow shaded his eyes and saw Thunderstone kneel before a tall age-bent figure wearing a glittering coat.

'Nevian?' he whispered, turning Evening Star towards the fortress. Star hesitated, p.r.i.c.ked her ears and snorted fiercely.

Willow leaned forward and picked up the faint sound o f galloping hoofbeats.

'Esteron!' he cried, seeing the Warhorse burst through the darkened entrance and pause before the figure in the glittering coat before galloping out across the Causeway Field. 'Look, Star, the owls are carrying the standard belonging to Thane.

They will lead us to him - quickly, follow, follow Esteron.'

Evening Star arched her neck, neighed and turned away from Underfall, following Esteron up into the thick pine forest that covered the lower slopes of Mantern's Mountain. High above the dark trees the standard carried in the owls' talons glittered and sparkled in the sunlight, flashing as a beacon to the weary crescent of Marchers and Gallopers,

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A,.

hard on the heels of the remnants of the Nightbeast army.

'Thane is before us!' Thoron shouted, reining Equestrius to a halt and pointing up at the owls as they turned and flew over the steep pine forest that grew on the shoulders of the mountain.

'The standard of the sun!' Tombel cried, pointing with the blade of his Marching sword. 'Follow the standard!'

Turning to his son, Rubel, he lowered his voice and whispered, 'We stand on the skirts of Mantern's Mountain; above us is the City of Night. Elionbel and Martbel are now beyond our power to save them.'

'Curse Thanehand!' Rubel spat, clenching his gloved fists.

'No, no!' Tombel shouted. 'Follow the standard and let no foul Nightbeast enter the City of Night. If Thane is on the

Nightmare's heels then we must do all we can to help him.

Nevian foretold it.'

Rubel hesitated, his face white with anger. 'First he takes my sister's heart, then Mother falls beneath the Nightmare's shadow and my brother, Arbel, is at best a prisoner of the Nightbeasts. Base Candlebrat!' he shouted, 'I curse him and all candlecurs that meddle in magic and cling to the magician's skirts. Thanehand is the root of this Nightmare's hate; without his meddling none of this would have happened.'

Rubel stuttered in rage against Thane, making himself dizzy and lightheaded. Tombel stared at his son, the blood draining from his face, the tips of his fingers tingling with anger. 'Fool!'

he hissed, s.n.a.t.c.hing Rubel's Marching sword out of his hands.

'You shout base Chancellor's words; ignorant words built on false pride.'

Turning the sword and holding it with both hands he brought it firmly down across his knee, snapping the blade in two. 'You are no son of mine to judge another man by his station, be he base or high born. Thane did not choose to bring these tragedies upon our house; fate runs him on a harder road than ours. Now go from my sight and seek true wisdom. Seek out the Master of Magic

and beg him to show you the measure of Thanehand. Go!'

Rubel stepped back a pace and, bending, he gathered up the two pieces of the sword. 'I cursed Thanehand for bringing the Nightmare to our house and the curse shall stay until Mother and Elionbel are safe home. I will not help him, save with another curse.'

Without another word Rubel left the crescent of Marchers, turning his back on Mantern's Mountain and the shadowy line of Nightbeasts that ran before them towards the Gates of Night. Tombel watched him walk away and took a step to, follow, then stopped.

'Nevian,' he whispered, blinking back his tears, 'forgive Rubel his anger, forgive my son his hatred, show him as you showed me how to judge.'

Sighing, Tombel moved into his place in the crescent and, heavy-hearted, he led the Marchers up out of the heather meadows into the cool pine forest that covered Mantern's towering shoulders. Far away to the right where the pine trees thinned and the steep shale slopes began he saw Thoron marshalling the Gallopers and swept his sword in a glittering ; arc in the sunlight. Seeing Tombel, Thoron halted and waved

his hand, pointing up towards the summit.

'Run, Marchers, run,' he shouted, urging Equestrius forward.

Tombel shaded his eyes and thought for a moment that he saw a flash of sunlight on bright metal somewhere near the summit, somewhere near the high plateau. 'Run, Marchers,'

he shouted.

Willow and Evening Star had cantered clear of the pine trees

and slowed to a trot as they pa.s.sed through the heather meadows. Soon they would breast the edge of the high plateau and the ruined Gates of Night. Before them, clear to see, were Esteron's hoofprints, pressed deep into the heather.

Willow shifted the stone searcher, resting the b.u.t.t end on his foot, holding it upright as he would a spear. There was no sign of the owls but to the left and right Warhorses and

298.

Border Runners broke free of the pine trees and entered the heather meadows, forming into fast-moving lines behind them. Star whinnied and neighed, lengthening her stride as the steep slope levelled. Cantering easily she reached the high plateau and halted. Before them rose the three gra.s.sy mounds of battle dead from the battle before the Gates of Night, and each mound was covered with a mighty stoop of owls; still they sat, unblinking, waiting and watching the ruined gates.

Rockspray and Mulcade were perched on the small gra.s.sy mound of Amarch and Silverwing, the summer scarf still hooked into their talons.

'Can you lead me to Thane?' Willow called out as Star trotted towards the burial mounds. 'Nevian forewarned me to meet Thane here before he entered the City of Night.'

Rockspray turned his head and hooted in shrill notes, telling how the Nightmare had taken Elionbel and Martbel into the darkness. 'Thane is on his heels,' he shrieked, ducking his head backwards and forwards.

Evening Star quickly pa.s.sed on all the owl's news to Willow, snorting and neighing, striking her hoof upon the ground.

'The Gates of Night are closed and ruined, beyond my skill to open! If Thane has followed the Nightmare by another path how shall we find it, where shall we find it on all this dark mountain?'

Mulcade hooted softly, tilting his head and looking upwards at a shadow that slowly pa.s.sed over the high plateau.

'Is that Eagle Owl?' Willow whispered, crinkling his eyelids against the sun's glare as a shaft of light reflected from a blade held in the owl's talons. 'He is searching the mountainside, he is looking for a way into the City of Night!' Willow cried, urging Evening Star forward, sending the stoops of owls up noiselessly to darken the sun. 'Look in every crack and hole, turn over every boulder and loose stone. We must find a way

into the City of Night!'

Behind him, with the noise of thunder, the dense crescent

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of Warhorses moved across the plateau, the Border Runners fanned out, noses to the ground, sniffing for any trace of the Nightmare's prints. Higher and higher Evening Star scrambled amongst the rough boulders and slippery shale. Willow

dismounted, spun the stone searcher in his hand and began the long task of searching under every stone and rock. Behind his shoulder the sun slowly sank out of sight, casting a blood red shadow over the roofs of Underfall far below.

'We must search on,' he cried. 'By silver moonlight or the glow of a million stars we must find a way.'

King Holbian shivered, drawing the steelsilver coat tightly against the chill night air and looked up at the black mountain that filled the sky. 'Breakmaster,' he called softly, turning his head.